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Learn the basics of the industry in our Business of Show workshops for adults and young artists this July. From branding to social media presence to getting an agent and video auditions, learn how to make your mark and discover opportunities no matter where you live.

From your own backyard to the bright lights of the Big Apple, this will be a part-informational seminar, part-instructional workshop. Actor Ethan Paulini, who has been in several shows at The Rep, will lead the workshop and Musical Director Mark Binns and Choreographer/Dancer Marisa Kirby will be on the panel.

Ethan Paulini as Buddy the Elf in The Rep’s production of Elf. Photo by Stephen B. Thornton.

A limited number of participants will present material of their choosing and receive constructive feedback as to how to best create a cohesive brand based on their type and unique talents and present themselves as a competitive member of the entertainment industry.

In addition to working on material, there will be an extensive Q&A session. Here are the dates to get signed up:

Adults 18+
The Business of Show, 6-8 p.m. Thursday, July 7

Young Artists (ages 10-17)The Business of Show, 6-8 p.m. Friday, July 8

Call the Box Office at (501) 378-0405 to reserve your spot in the workshops! Payment is required at time of reservation.

Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s 41st MainStage Season is lined up and we are excited to share the magic of theatre with students from across the state with our MainStage Student Matinee Series.

Did you know that the program allows more than 6,000 school children from across the state to see our professional performances each season for as little as $8 a seat? It’s almost time to get your school booked in for next season!

Check out the student matinee dates for each production on our website here.

You may reserve seats for the following shows beginning May 9, 2016:

Monty Python’s Spamalot

The Crucible

A Christmas Story

You may reserve seats for the following shows beginning Jan. 1, 2017:

Sister Act

Jar the Floor

Godspell

All student matinees are scheduled at 10:30 a.m. Thursdays. To reserve seats for your class, view dates here and email KTanner@TheRep.org with this:

Name

School name

School address

Best way to reach you (phone, email)

Group size with chaperones, drivers and teachers who plan to attend with you

If a performance fills to capacity, we will keep a waitlist and you will be notified if seats become available! For more information about the program, click here.

We can’t believe it but it’s almost the end of summer and you know what means: our mainstage season is just around the corner!

But before we kick off our landmark 40th Anniversary Season, our Summer Musical Theatre Intensive (SMTI) Junior Session is taking center stage with their production of Once On This Island this weekend, Aug. 6-8.

From the Tony Award-winning songwriting team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Seussical, Ragtime) comes the Olivier Award-winning Once On This Island. This highly original and theatrical Caribbean adaptation of the popular fairy tale The Little Mermaid garnered eight Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical.

Celebrate storytelling with this rousing Calypso-flavored tale of one small girl who finds love in a world of prejudice.

Performances are:

7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6

7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7

1 & 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at www.therep.org or by calling the Box Office at (501) 378-0405.

Can you believe it has been 10 years since the Summer Musical Theatre Intensive got its incredible start within the confines of Arkansas Repertory Theatre?

Under the direction of Nicole Capri, the program has helped craft top-notch young artists in central Arkansas who have gone to big things in the entertainment world.

One person who actually saw the beginning of the program and has returned for the big 10th anniversary is production coordinator Katherine Tanner.

See what she had to say about her involvement with the program, how it’s evolved since its inception and more:

Q: What is your theatre training and experience?

A: As a young theatre educator, I have found that people (and not productions) are the most important aspect of my career. Real people are who I have studied and who I present when working on a production. I am an ongoing student of theatre and will never claim that ‘I’ve arrived’ or know all there is to know.

I was a ‘transferholic’ in college and because of it, have had a one-of-a-kind education. I started at OBU, went to Columbia College Chicago and finally graduated from California State University Northridge, where I focused in directing.

In those areas, I was always able to work in the theatre departments and scene shops learning all I could in every aspect of theatre. I was mentored by many inspiring people in the last 10 years, including Susan Nichols, Fred Boosey, Scott Holsclaw, Eric Phillips (OBU), Sheldon Patinkin (co-founder of The Second City), Susan Padveen (CCC), Nicole Capri, Larry Biederman (CSUN) and Melissa Chalsma (co-founder of independent Shakespeare Co.) to name a few I greatly admire. It is through their encouragement that I have skills that vary from welding steel to directing and most things in between.

Q: Can you give a brief history of your involvement with SMTI?

A: When SMTI began in 2005, there were only four women running the program and I was one of them. I was titled the ‘Assistant Stage Manager,’ however, I was responsible for pulling props, running rehearsals, cleaning bathrooms, taking out trash, putting mics on the cast, tracking and mixing the mics from the sound console. In 2006, I was the Stage Manager with two peer interns and cast. Let’s just say, it was as challenging as the prior year and then some.

Q: How do you think SMTI has evolved over the years?

A: The support from designers, choreographers, musical directors and directors has intensified the SMTI program, making it professional quality theatre entertainment. It no long feels like a camp for kids–it’s a ‘coming-out’ celebration of the state’s young artists.

Q: What are you most excited about being a part of the 10th Anniversary of SMTI?

A: I am most excited to be back to celebrate the milestone– how far SMTI has come.

Q: Why is SMTI so important for local young artists?

A: This program rivals those nationally known and it’s in their backyard. This program provides a network and support system for the young artists as they go off to college and into the professional world.

Don’t miss all of the incredible this summer when SMTI productions take flight in our new education space and on The Rep MainStage. Here is a lineup of productions not to miss this summer:

Senior SMTI: Once on This Island

7 p.m. Thursday, July 23

7 p.m. Friday, July 24

1 p.m. Saturday, July 25

7 p.m. Saturday, July 25

SMTI Select II: Really Rosie

7 p.m. Friday, July 31

1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1

7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1

Junior SMTI: Once in This Island

7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6

7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7

1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8

7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8

Get more information about tickets for these shows by calling the Box Office at (501) 378-0405!

Arkansas Repertory Theatre ended its 39th MainStage June 21 with the incredible production of August: Osage County and will resume in September with the first show of its landmark 40th Season with William Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

But, just because there is a break in our seasons doesn’t mean the theatre takes a break. In fact, hundreds of young artists will be taking center stage through the summer for our annual Summer Musical Theatre Intensive sessions. The youngest of these artists will be learning from one of The Rep’s best returning actors, Ethan Paulini (Elf, Avenue Q, The Full Monty), for two SMTI Select sessions from July 6-18 and July 20-Aug. 1.

We had the chance to talk to Paulini about his return to Little Rock, what he loves most about coaching, his favorite Rep production and more. Here is what he had to say:

Q: What is your theatre training?

A: I grew up training at the Harwich Junior Theatre (HJT). I received a degree in Acting from Emerson College in Boston and I currently study voice with Larson Award Winner Marisa Michelson.Q: You were most recently the lead in our show Elf and have been in several shows at The Rep. What keeps you coming back?

A: Arkansas Rep is one of the most welcoming and artistically supportive places I have ever worked. The directors, designers and actors I get to work with are fantastic. I always feel challenged. The audiences are curious and smart. Ultimately, it feels like home and home is made up of people.

Q: What will you be instructing the SMTI Select students on?

A: We will work on many aspects of performing. From presenting a successful audition to storytelling, voice, speech and movement. The students will participate in exercises that challenge their imagination and sharpen their actor toolbox. I will help them learn how to create their own process, from rehearsing to maintaining a performance. We will also be working on presenting the musical Really Rosie. It is a wonderful collection of musical vignettes by Carole King.

Q: What is your favorite part about being a theatre coach to young artists?

A: Growth. Theatre is not an exact science. There is no right or wrong, so I love watching each artist, regardless of age, bring themselves to the work. Oftentimes through that exploration, they discover a lot about themselves, both artistically and personally.

Q: Why is the SMTI program so important for young artists in central Arkansas?

A: Young artists in central Arkansas are so lucky to have Nicole Capri and the SMTI program. Not only does it create talented, exciting artists but also provides an important creative outlet to so many young people. Theatre training fosters discipline, creative thinking, builds self esteem and develops a community that can be an important support system both on and off stage.

Q: What is your favorite production you’ve been in at The Rep and why?

A: I love them all for different reasons, but I think the most recent show, Elf, was especially special. The reaction was so overwhelming. I got to spend the holidays doing what I love with people that I love. I also have two young nephews and a niece and it was the perfect way to share with them and create a wonderful holiday memory.

Sidenote with Ethan

Favorite place to eat in Little Rock: So many places! I think Little Rock is a GREAT food city. My dad runs restaurants, so I have grown into a bit of a foodie. If I only had time for one meal in Little Rock, though, it would probably be Whole Hog Cafe. I am from the northeast, so BBQ is really a special cuisine. I even ship their sauces home with me when I come to The Rep so I have a little taste of Little Rock in New York.

What you’re doing when you’re not on stage: I actually love going to see theatre and movies, spending time with friends and traveling. Performing takes lot of energy and stamina so I make sure to take time to rest and work out regularly. I also have multiple writing projects in the works so I steal time to work on those when I can. I am a huge baseball fan (Go Red Sox!) and I have an unnatural obsession with the TV show “The Golden Girls.”

Favorite musical right now: I saw the new Kander and Ebb musical The Visit four times during it’s recent Broadway run. They were responsible for such classic musicals as Cabaret, Kiss of the Spider Woman and Chicago. Fred Ebb passed away several years ago so this will be their final new show to make it to Broadway. It was dark, smart, chilling and the music was incredible.

Total shows you’ve been in at The Rep: six shows:The Full Monty, The Who’s Tommy, White Christmas, Avenue Q, Compleat Wks of WLLM SHKSPR (ABRIDGED) and Elf.

Don’t miss SMTI Select in action when their production Really Rosie takes The Rep stage at 7 p.m. Friday, July 17 and 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday, July 18 (first session) and 7 p.m. Friday, July 31 and 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1 (second session). Tickets are $10 and can be booked online at TheRep.org or at (501) 378-0405.

The world premiere of young artist production Project Elan is taking center stage and to share the excitement of this brand-new show, we would like to showcase an integral part of the show: the fabulous choreography!

We recently had the chance to talk with one of the choreographers– Stephen K. Stone, faculty member of UALR Theatre Arts & Dance — and we were enthralled by how moving the dancing was. Watch a sample of some of the choreography and learn more about this original production conceived and directed by The Rep Resident Director and Education Director, Nicole Capri!

Seats are $30 and $25 for season subscribers. Get your tickets by clicking here or calling the Box Office at (501) 378-0405! Get more information on the blog here.

It’s the last day of our Summer Musical Theatre Intensive Alumni Week and we thought we would end it on a high note by taking a look at some of the notable alumni who have gone on to the bright lights of Broadway, the “American Idol” stage and more.

To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s young artist program, Summer Musical Theatre Intensive (SMTI), we are having a special alumni week highlighting those who have honed their acting, dancing and singing skills in the program.

So, what is SMTI– dubbed “Smitty’– exactly?

The Rep offers two summer programs as part of its SMTI training program for aspiring young artists in Arkansas. Under the direction of Nicole Capri, The Rep’s Resident Director and Director of Education, the program is an intensive, audition-based theatre training program designed for motivated young artists who are serious about the arts and musical theatre.

The SMTI staff is comprised of professional directors, choreographers, musicians and designers. Daily rehearsals are structured similarly to a professional summer stock experience and include instruction in musical theatre techniques, multimedia, costume and stage makeup, dance and vocal coaching. Each session involves intensive daily rehearsals culminating in a public workshop performance of a selected musical or musical revue.

The summer production is then refined, recast and remounted in the fall (or spring this season!) on The Rep Main Stage for patrons of all ages, and remains one of the most popular productions at the theatre each season.

This week, the latest young artist production is taking center stage: Project Elan! Get your tickets now by visiting TheRep.org or calling (501) 378-0405 and check back later this week on the blog for a look at some notable SMTI alumni who have gone on to TV, Broadway, music and more!

Also follow us on Facebook to see more alumni share their favorite memories and pictures from their time in SMTI!

Taking stage from May 5-16 is Project Élan, a brand-new, original, culture-current musical that seeks to shed light on the individual and universal needs of the millennial generation.

Patrons will see more than 60 Summer Musical Theatre Intensive alumni hitting the high notes, showing off their acting chops and putting their best foot forward in this world premiere production! But before this inspiring production takes over The Rep, we wanted to highlight the eight creative minds who worked together to make bring it to Little Rock.

Here they are:

NICOLE CAPRI(Writer/Director/Choreographer)

Resident Director and Director of Education at The Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Nicole Capri is the 2011 recipient of The Governor’s Arts Award for Arts in Education and the author of “Young Artists at The Rep.” Now entering its 10th year, Nicole is also the founder and Director of The Rep’s Summer Musical Theatre Intensive (SMTI) program for young artists – the fastest growing program in the history of The Rep. A theatre, music, writing and dance major at The University of Memphis and The National Theatre of the Deaf Professional Theatre School, Nicole has directed and/or choreographed more than 100 productions. Favorite Rep credits include: Next to Normal, Elf, White Christmas, Children of a Lessor God, The Foreigner, Glorious, Godspell, If you Sing It They Will Come, Review the Revue, That 80’s Show, A Christmas Story and Singin’ on a Star. Other credits include; Eve in The Apple Tree(Fairmount Theatre of the Deaf/Cleveland Playhouse/International Tour), “Best Performance” (First International Theatre Festival, Volgograd, Russia), original company of Ram in the Thicket (Off Broadway/Judith Anderson Theatre), “Critics Choice Award” Mary in The Miracle Play, writer/director for The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s 2013 Holiday Fantasy and Director/Choreographer/Editor for the world premiere of Rich Mullins’ original musical Canticle of the Plains.

BOBBY BANISTER (Writer)

The front man of the duo, Cheetah, Bobby has written and recorded six albums of work and numerous singles. Winner of the ASCAP songwriting competition and the rock genre in the Alchemy Songwriting Competition, Bobby’s music has been contracted for licensing for TV shows including “The Real World” and “Keeping up with the Kardashians.” His former band, Half Priced Hearts was named among “Best Unsigned Artists” on Tommy2 blog, recognized by Perez Hilton on his blog and toured the country playing shows with talented artists including: The Rocket Summer, Honor Society, Kaitlyn Tarver and Action Item. A graduate of Belmont University in Nashville with a degree in commercial music and a minor in music business, Bobby is an Arkansas native who now resides in Los Angeles where he is writing songs for major label artists while finishing Cheetah’s debut EP. “Songwriting is part of who I am and always will be. I’m thankful for the opportunity to put my feelings into the songs that just might be the soundtrack to someone’s day.”

CONLY BASHAM(Writer)

Arkansas native, Conly Basham, is a singer-songwriter, teaching artist and equity actress who now resides in New York City. Conly has performed in the off-off Broadway theatre scene as both an actor and composer, and recently lead a cast with her original folk-scored production of Twelfth Night selected as part of the 2014 NYC’s Fringe Festival. As a cabaret performer, Conly’s original songs have been heard at such celebrated venues as Birdland Jazz Club, 54 Below and Top of The Rock Conservatory at Rockefeller Center. Rep audiences may remember Conly from her SMTI days or from Rep MainStage productions including: Peter Pan, Gypsy, Les Miserables and Next to Normal.

MARK BINNS(Writer/Music Director)

Originally from Little Rock, Mark is a musical director, singer, pianist, composer, arranger and teacher. At The Rep, Mark is music director for the SMTI program, has served as music director for White Christmas, Les Miserables, Memphis and Elf, and was assistant musical director for The Rep’s three world premieres; Treasure Island, Pal Joey and Because of Winn Dixie. Other music director credits include: The Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre (Joseph, Oliver!, Pippin), The Studio Theatre of Little Rock (The Last Five Years), The Young Actors Guild of Fort Smith (Cinderella), and The Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas (42nd Street, Hairspray). In New York City, Mark was the accompanist for the world premiere of Mark Hayes’ Gettysburg Address and Requiem at The Lincoln Center. Last season, Mark was the vocal director and arranger for The Rep’s Young Artists for The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Fantasy.

SAM CLARK(Writer) An engineer by day for CenterPoint Energy, Sam is a musician and performer at heart. Sam was a charter member of The Barbara Mashburn Scholarship Foundation, a vocal jazz ensemble, and regularly performs for open mic nights in Fayetteville and around Arkansas. Sam also was a state-level ranked jazz guitarist and has been playing for more than 10 years. An alumnus of The Rep’s SMTI program, Sam now enjoys playing with the guys in the band. Favorite theatre credits include leading roles in Sweeney Todd, Little Shop of Horrors, High School Musical and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Sam is currently working on developing original songs and cover pieces for several shows around the Central Arkansas. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amZ_n-emHQw

ROBERT FROST (Writer)

Robert is an SMTI alumnus and is thrilled to be back at The Rep. A graduate of the National Theater Institute, Robert works as a musical director, arranger, writer and director. He currently serves as the Resident Musical Director for The National Musical Theater Institute at The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. In addition to his work with SMTI, select MD credits include the premiere of Jonah and the Whale: A New Musical (7th House/Guthrie Theatre), Little Shop of Horrors (7th House) and Pig Iron’s James Joyce is Dead and So is Paris (Connecticut College). As a director, Robert recently assisted Hayley Finn for the premiere of The Secret Lives of Coats and has worked in various capacities with The Playwrights’ Center. Robert also serves as one-half of Frosty Bob and J’s Summer Camp, a performance partnership with playwright/performer Justin Caron. Together, they have created Utopiacopia (Director) and STAY WHERE YOU F***ING ARE: A TRIBUTE TO ELAINE STRITCH (Musical Director/Co-Writer). FBJ’s Summer Camp was recently named “Best Performance Art 2014″ by l’étoile Magazine.

JIMMY LANDFAIR (Writer)

Jimmy is a singer/songwriter and lead guitarist touring with the southern rock band, Bearcat. A songwriting/entrepreneurship senior at MTSU, accepted into the prestigious commercial songwriting program, Jimmy recently released his first solo project EP album “Schoolhouse.” A featured performer at The Arkansas Songwriter Showcase, a lead guitarist with The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and a jazz guitar protégé of Ted Ludwig of New Orleans, Jimmy is excited to be returning to The Rep to write and perform again with the talented team of Project Élan. Jimmy’s music can be found on iTunes and YouTube.

CHARITY VANCE(Writer)

Charity is a professional singer-songwriter originally from Little Rock, Ark. A SMTI alumnus, Charity got her first big break at Arkansas Repertory Theatre starring as “Annie” at the age of nine. In 2010, at the age of 16, Charity wowed the judges of the hit FOX series “American Idol” with her unique rendition of “Summertime.” She continued her pursuit of music, writing and performing and is now living in Los Angeles where she is working to complete her next original music project and focusing on her YouTube Channel – /charityvancemusic.

Seats are $30 and $25 for season subscribers. Get your tickets by clicking here or calling the Box Office at (501) 378-0405! Get more information on the blog here.

Before the 39th MainStage Season comes to an end, The Rep is excited to showcase a world premiere show– young artist production Project Elan.

Taking stage from May 5-16, Project Élan is a brand-new, original, culture-current musical that seeks to shed light on the individual and universal needs of the millennial generation. Digital and uniquely undefinable, this generation seeks to find answers in an unpredictable world. And although they may appear to be an age overrun by technology and isolation, their dreams are timeless. The millennial generation still longs for the most basic of human needs – safety, hope and love.

I recently had the chance to talk with creator and director Nicole Capri, The Rep Resident Director and Director of Education, about the inspiration behind the show, what it’s about, songs to look out for and more! Here is what she had to say:

Q: What is Project Élan about?

A: Project Élan is a brand-new, original, culture-current musical about the millennial generation – how they connect and relate to each other, their relationships, their hopes, their dreams, their fears and how technology has changed the way they interact with the world and the people around them.

Philosophers have predicted and many people now fear that today’s youth are being overrun by technology and isolation, but the dreams they have are timeless. The millennial generation still longs for the most basic of human needs – safety, hope and love.

The writers of Project Élan hope to shed light on the individual and universal needs of a uniquely undefinable generation, and a growing digital industry that impacts all of us.

Q: What gave you the inspiration to create Project Élan?

A: I’ve wanted to create an original musical for years, but I wanted to have something significant to say and I knew I needed the right creative team of collaborators to make it happen.

A few years ago, I had been journaling for several months about technology and how it was affecting the young artists I work with. As an acting coach and director, my job is to teach young artists how to authentically communicate and connect with their audience – and more importantly – with each other. Over the years (as technology has boomed and everyone now has a cellphone in their hand), I have found my job to be more difficult. We’re all so over-committed– attention spans are so much shorter and I’ve often wondered if the ability to connect face-to-face would one day become a lost art form.

Without disparaging the growth or the use of technology, I wanted to pose several questions:

With so much connectivity around us, are we now entering a dark age of genuine, authentic relationships?

Are we allowing technology to cause us to withdraw from the people around us and those that we love the most?

or… Is our world simply being redefined?

The word ‘élan’ means – to live with passion and reckless abandon, to live in the moment and to live each day as if it were our last. I wondered if I was living my own life just trying to get through the next project or scratch the next thing off my ‘TO DO’ list. I felt as though I was living a life where I was ‘glorifying the idea of being busy.’ I was tired… and I wanted more ‘life in my life.’ Something had to change.

I finally felt like I had something significant to say.

While in New York City auditioning actors for The Rep’s production of White Christmas, my music director, Mark Binns, and I went to see the musical Once on Broadway. We both looked at each other at the end of the show and said almost simultaneously, ‘We need to write a musical.’ It was kismet. That was in the fall of 2011.

Q: How long have you been working on this original show?

A: Our team of song writers began working together in the fall of 2012. The writers are from all over the country now, so we gathered together for the first time for a week in the home of Susan and Herren Hickingbotham’s. We felt like a band of gypsy artists, sprawled out all over their living room, singing and writing and occasionally taking naps. They fed us and would come down and encourage us and listen to our latest lyrics and creations. They were definitely our biggest supporters throughout this whole project – tangibly and spiritually.

We’ve rarely all gotten to be together in the same place since then… we’ve done a lot of writing over the phone and via Skype. We had a week together in Nashville before Bobby and Charity moved to Los Angeles. Conly and I have had long coffee-shop talks when I go to cast in NYC. And we camped out again for another week at the Hickingbothams on the home-stretch finishing the final touches of the latest script. The songs and storylines have changed and evolved over time and the way we collaborate and interact has become stronger and more exciting. When we first began over two years ago… we were trying to figure out how we all work, dream and create. Now that we understand eachother’s creative rhythms better, it’s been easier to focus more on fine-tuning the storyline and streamlining the rough edges of the show. The final puzzle piece of the show is our project/stage manager, Beth Thiemann. Without her, none of this would have been possible.

Q: What will be patrons be able to expect from the show?

A: We hope that our audiences will leave our show asking questions.

We hope that our audiences will leave our show with a renewed desire to spend tangible, touchable time with the people that they love.

We hope that our audiences will leave our show with hope.

When we work-shopped the original idea for Project Elan two summers ago, one parent remarked that she ‘felt like she got a window into her kids world.’ Interestingly… during the rehearsal process, so many of the cast members said they felt that they understood their parent’s generation so much more after participating in the creation of the piece.

Maybe there is a type of ‘generation connector’ in Project Elan? Or even just a reminder that life is too short to continue trying to live it as fast as possible.

If nothing else, we hope that our audiences will feel that we have moved them and enriched their lives in some small way.

Q: Song that patrons should look out for?

A: The show has such a diverse musical score with original songs from almost every genre of music. This is not your typical ‘Broadway book musical.’ The music you will hear will be more like what you would find on the radio – contemporary-alternative, acoustic-folk, urban-rock, indie-pop, Nashville-sound and progressive-Broadway.

Those who saw the original workshop will also hear two brand-new pieces and some big changes to familiar songs.

I’ve been asked several times what my favorite songs are from the show… it’s hard to decide and it changes daily. They’re all so different, but the one that haunts me most and gives me the most hope is one written by Conly Basham. The title is ‘Morning Song’ and it sounds like something you might hear on a soundtrack from ‘Lord of the Rings.’ Some of the lyrics are:

SOMETIMES WE LAUGH, WE FLY WE DANCE.

A CHANCE FOR EACH – FOR EACH, A CHANCE

STILL MOONS WILL GLARE AND NIGHTTIME CRAWL.

STEP OUT OF DARKNESS INTO ALL

THE LIGHT OF MORNING

Q: What was the best part of the writing process for the musical?

A:

Creating a beautiful piece with my favorite collaborators in the world who amaze me with their talents every single day

Creating a piece from scratch with young artists who shared their lives and their hearts to create the book of the show

Watching a show that was only a glimmer of an idea several years ago come to life in front of a live audience

(always my answer) Watching my parents watch one of my shows.

And finally… on the front page of my journal in 2006… I wrote ‘What will be my legacy? How will they remember me?’ I always thought that would make great lyrics to a song. I shared that with Binns and he turned those two sentences into the opening number of the show. It always amazes me how one small idea can come to life in a way that I couldn’t even begin to imagine. That is the art of synergy and collaboration, and that is the rarity of working with artists who are not only amazingly talented, but people who understand your heart, your passion and your vision. Two sentences scribbled on the front of a notebook almost 10 years ago became a fully orchestrated number for 60-plus people. All I had to do was share that one idea with the right person. It’s an amazing thing if you think about it.

How did you select the writers of the show?

A: Conly Basham and I have been saying for almost 10 years that we should write a show together. She was the one who introduced me to Mark Binns four years ago. They have such a positive and uniquely indescribable chemistry. I’ve never seen two people create so seamlessly together. I knew that anyone else we added to the mix needed to be a positive energy force, but we also wanted interesting diversity. Other elements that were really important to us were people who understood the mission and honor code we try to instill in the young people we teach, and interestingly… we all share a love for Christ. It wasn’t really planned that way, but it is a powerful and prayerful group of people to collaborate with.

It almost seemed effortless in choosing the other members of our team; Bobby Banister who now lives in LA and is doing a ton of producing and writing, Charity Vance who was an SMTI alum who got her big break on ‘American Idol,’ Jimmy Landfair (who became involved in the program through his younger sister Julia) who is writing and touring out of Nashville, Robert Frost was another SMTI alumni who is an amazing writer/composer who is now the music director at The Eugene O’Neill Theatre and Sam Clark – an SMTI alumni and local singer/songwriter. We call Sam the ‘normal one’ in our group. Sam is an engineer by day and we all secretly hope that he will be the one to support us one day.

It’s a great group of people. There are times when everything works and clicks and obviously there are times when we don’t agree, but ultimately… we are all committed to the project and the message which we believe is a message of hope.

Is there anything else that you would like to add?

A:This is the show you won’t want to miss. This is the game-changer for The Rep and for this program.

Seats are $30 and $25 for season subscribers. Get your tickets by clicking here or calling the Box Office at (501) 378-0405! Get more information on the blog here.